Community toolkit
Published 28 September 2026
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National Cadets Week is a national celebration of the Cadet movement.
Sponsored by the Ministry of Defence, it brings together five Cadet Forces: the Sea Cadet Corps, Volunteer Cadet Corps, Army Cadet Force, Air Training Corps and the Combined Cadet Force.
Together they support 137,000 cadets and 28,000 adult volunteers across the UK.
This year marks the launch of Phase 1 of the National Cadets Action Plan, setting out the framework for sustainable growth of the Cadet Forces by 30%, delivering over 40,000 more cadet places by 2035.
What can you do?
Follow and share
- Follow the week on social media using #NationalCadetsWeek and tag @MinistryofDefence.
- Look out for stories throughout the week, including community projects, Cadet Force Adult Volunteer (CFAV) recognition, lifesaving first aid stories and cadet skills for life.
- Share your own story; are you a cadet, adult volunteer or parent and want to share personal benefits to your networks?
Visit an Open Day: Saturday 10 October 2026
Saturday 10 October is the flagship event of the week. Cadet units across the UK will open their doors to families and communities, with activities including first aid demonstrations, STEM challenges, climbing walls, fieldcraft demonstrations and more. Entry is free. Contact your local unit for event details.
Find out if Cadets is right for your child
The Cadets changes children’s lives for the better, developing key skills like confidence, resilience and leadership skills, therefore increasing employability. Costs are low, and financial assistance is available, so cost is never a barrier. Speak to unit staff at an Open Day or register your interest online to find your local unit.
Joining the Cadets is the best decision I ever made. I learnt so much about myself and my confidence improved so much. I got to spend loads of time with my friends and try new exciting activities such as caving and fieldcraft!
Chris, 15, Army Cadet
Consider joining as a volunteer
Cadet Force Adult Volunteers (CFAVs) are the backbone of the cadet movement, giving their evenings and weekends to support young people. No military experience is needed be become a CFAV, just a willingness to learn and make a difference. If you’re interested in volunteering, speak to your local unit during an Open Day or get in touch directly to register your interest.
Volunteering with the Sea Cadets is the most rewarding thing I do, giving back to my local community and giving the kids somewhere safe to come of an evening. Watching them grow in confidence and take on responsibility and achieve things they didn’t think was possible. That’s what keeps me coming back each week.
Maeve, Sea Cadet Volunteer
Get involved as an employer
If any of your employees are CFAVs, or you want to support the cadet movement more broadly, could you persuade your organisation to pledge 5 days of paid volunteering for Cadet Force Adult Volunteers?
This is this year’s headline ask for employers to help address one of the biggest challenges facing the movement: volunteer retention. For further ways your organisation can support take a look at our Employers toolkit.
Supporting our staff to volunteer as CFAVs is one of the easiest, highest-impact things we do as an employer. It costs us five days a year, but the leadership and teamwork skills our people bring back more than pay for themselves!
